


Teach Your Children Well

by LPSunnyBunny



Series: Tales from the Court [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M, Multi, Shadow Court, Yami is not impressed, big clusterfuck of poly court shippping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-28 07:23:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10079357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LPSunnyBunny/pseuds/LPSunnyBunny
Summary: Shadow users are starting to appear in the British Isles in large amounts. The Court must investigate and follow through on the threats to their new subjects. Hogwarts could use a new subject, and Shadow Magic sounds like the perfect fit.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [King's Jackal](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1935633) by [esama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/esama/pseuds/esama). 



> In which Ishizu is concerned, Court is called, and Yugi gets a teaching job.

"It was a good duel." Yugi smiled gently at the young boy who had lost, his duel disk retracting back from dueling mode. "If you would let me offer some advice?" At the boy's eager nod, Yugi reached out and gently sifted through his deck. 

"You place too many back row cards at one time. If your field is full, you don't have any room for further maneuvering until you use some, and you can get stuck very easily with nowhere to go if your field is full." He tapped the couple ritual spells that the kid had placed, but was unable to activate. "It's wise to wait to use these until you know you can just play them immediately."

Bowing, the kid thanked him for the duel and advice, and ran off. At Yugi's side, Yami watched with a smile.

_"You're very good at that,_ " he commented, glancing over to meet Yugi's eyes.  _"Telling them how to get better without making it sound harsh."_ Yugi grinned back.

_"You think so?"_ He said cheerily. Yami nodded.

Both of them looked down as their other holder vibrated slightly. Yugi reached, feeling for the right card, and drawing it. It was a duel card with no ATK or DEF, and the picture was the millennium necklace. It's title was simply SEER.

Yugi tapped it once, activating it's magic.

"Go ahead Ishizu." He said, turning and beginning to walk to the game shop.

_"King, I think we may have a situation developing."_ Ishizu's voice echoed slightly as the card transmitted it. She must be at a museum, with the way it was sounding.  _"I would like to call a Session, and get everyone's opinion on it."_

"Give us a quick rundown." Yami said, and there was a moment's pause.

_"Approximately five years from now, a great evil will rise and strip the world of many current and future Shadow Users. It will eventually be stopped, but if we intervene now we may be able to protect many of them and save their lives."_ Yugi winced. 'Great evil' was always a fun mystery bag.

"What can you tell us about where and how?" 

_"I know it centers around the British Isles, and with a type of magic that runs parallel to ours."_

"I'll put the call out for a Session, see who can come." 

_"Thank you. I will fetch my brothers and make sure they are ready."_ There was a quick pulse and the connection cut.

Sweeping through the door to the shop, Yugi exchanged a serious look with his other half. 

" _You don't think it's going to be another person trying to become God, do you?"_ Yugi asked worriedly, sitting down on the bed and taking out his Court cards.

_"Hopefully nothing as serious as that."_ Yami reassured him, adding a touch of corporeality to his frame until he was physical enough to press a kiss to the side of Yugi's head as they spread the cards out in front of them.  _"But it would not be wise to dismiss something like this out of hand. Ishizu does not request Sessions lightly, after all."_

"True." Yugi spoke out loud. "Okay. Let's see who's up for a Session." He touched his own card (a golden crown with a K below it, titled KING), and it began to resonate. The familiar shadow magic hummed in his chest. 

One by one, the other cards changed their tone to match, indicating their holder was ready to listen. Two remained silent, Tea's and Mai's.

"I am calling a Session." Yugi said. "Please maintain contact if you are able to join in the next ten minutes." One more went dark. Tristin would not be joining them.

"Thank you. Please make your way to the Court." Yami spoke. "We will see you there." They cut off the connection and nodded at each other.

Yugi reached into his chest with his magic, and found the slot inside himself. He turned the key, and the world faded away. Even as the shadows moved around him, he could feel Yami's presence like a beacon, pulsing by his side, steady and in time with his own heart.

 

 

 

They manifested in the Main Hall of the Court, wide open architecture greeting their eyes. Mokuba was already there, one arm holding a folder that he was hastily pushing paperwork into. Yugi sprung forward to greet him, Yami following behind at a leisurely pace, now in his own body in the shadow realm.

"Mokuba!" Mokuba grinned at Yugi, his long hair up in a messy bun. At age 20, Mokuba had shot up tall, like his brother, but remained thin and lanky. He hugged Yugi tightly, before turning to Yami and hugging him as well. 

"How have you been?" Yugi said, pulling back a bit to wave at the Ishtar siblings as they appeared. 

"Well, brother actually got a full night of sleep two days ago so I can check that off my weekly list of little victories." Mokuba said cheerfully, looking over as Noah manifested himself next to him. "Hey Noah!" 

After spending so many years not aging in cyber space, Noah had decided to maintain a teenage form in the shadow realm until he was more comfortable in his skin. Relatively speaking of course, seeing as the only skin he had was created by shadows and he was still, ultimately, an AI in the 'real world', but in the shadow realm he was as human as anyone else. 

Of course, the downside to the teenage form was that he was about as tall as Yugi, so both of his brothers now towered over him.

"Mokuba, Yugi, Yami." Noah greeted them individually. "It was mostly my doing, I locked Seto out until he agreed to take a nap and eat something."

"It was a team effort." Mokuba agreed. "After all, I did switch him to decaf."

"I knew I should have questioned you when you stopped denying my coffee." Kaiba sighed, joining the conversation. "So what's this about?" 

"Ishizu will explain inside." Yami nodded as Yugi went up on his toes to press a quick kiss to Kaiba's cheek. Kaiba clicked his tongue once in annoyance, tilting his head a bit so Yugi could reach better.

"Are we almost all here?" Ryo's soft voice asked from behind Yugi, who turned and gasped. 

"You cut your hair!" Ryo reached up and touched his short locks gently, where they drifted down to rest on his shoulders. 

"Does it look bad?" He asked worriedly, and Yugi quickly shook his head. 

"No, of course not!" He said. "I was just surprised! I thought you loved having long hair!" 

"I thought it was time for a change." Ryo said, leaning in to kiss Yugi lightly. 

"Ay Yugi!" Joey called across the room from where he was talking with his sister, Serenity (and very firmly ignoring Bakura and Marik attempting to eat each other's faces). "I think everyone who can make it's here, should we start?"

"Yes, lets go in to Session." Yami said, nodding once. Everyone turned and began to filter in through the two big doors to the meeting room. 

The room was round, and had several long rows of connected desks in a circle, broken only where stairs lended themselves to create walkways. For the small court Session, the room had shrunk, until it was only two rows of desks for the people in attendance. 

The circles were broken up into four sections. In the front row, Yugi and Yami sat together at one, Marik took the section on their left, Ryo took the one on their right (Bakura sliding into a new chair next to him), and Kaiba took the one across from them.

Behind Yugi and Yami, Shadi manifested himself in the single chair in the second row, a silent observer. 

Serenity, Odion, and Ishizu took the three chairs behind Marik, Mokuba and Noah behind Kaiba, and Joey was the only one behind Ryo, his feet kicked up on the desk as he relaxed. 

"So what's going on, your highness?" Bakura grinned at Yami, deliberately trying to antagonize him. Yami narrowed his eyes back, but only looked at Ishizu, who stood up. All eyes looked at her expectantly. 

"I have been receiving unprompted visions for the past few days." Ishizu starts, her hand gently touching the Millennium necklace around her neck. "They tell me the same things over and over. Future danger to the people of our kingdom. Shadow mages are beginning to surface in Great Britain. Many lives will be lost unless we intervene. Research has told me that the mages are likely beginning to appear in response to a magic war that ended about a decade ago, and that many of the people I see in my visions are children right now."

"Magic war?" Kaiba frowned, leaning forward.

"Yes." Ishizu said simply. "A magic that does not follow our rules, there are hidden societies all over the world that practice this magic." 

"So what details can your visions give us?" Joey asked, tipping back in his chair a bit.

"In approximately five years, a great evil will rise in Britain and the slaughter of many people, both magical and mundane, will begin. A second war will be found, and ultimately won." 

"So how is it our job to get involved?" Bakura asked, looking bored as he slouched a bit. 

"Innocents will die and people of our kingdom will be in danger." Yami said, staring at the Thief until his point was made. Bakura bared his teeth back, and Yugi sighed at the deliberate antagonizing. 

"So what can we do?" Ryo said, effectively dissolving the tension between Bakura and Yami. Ishizu hesitated.

"Well?" Kaiba prompted.

"Many of the shadow mages are minors, which would normally be Serenity's authority." She said, tilting her head towards the younger girl. "However, it should be noted that nearly all of the minors go, or will go to a magic school, Hogwarts." Yugi muffled a snicker. Joey had no such reservation and barked out a laugh.

"What kind of name is  _Hogwarts?"_ He sputtered, and he and Yugi grinned at each other.

"It is silly," Ishizu allowed herself a smile, "But the problem comes that it is a boarding school. Children stay there for schooling. I do not think it would be the best option to send Serenity, considering her current job and her wards." 

"I see your point." Serenity nodded. "I don't think it would be a adequate trade off for me to quit my social work in order to work at a magic school, especially considering I'm not super great at teaching anyway."

"So we're going to send somebody to teach?" Mokuba asked, frowning.

"Is there any other real possibility?" Ryo said, and Mokuba thought for a moment. 

"Not feasible for long term." He admitted. "But what would they teach?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Yami asked, smirking slightly. "If it's a magic school, and we're going there for new mages, why not teach them shadow magic?"

A beat.

"Should we be doing that?" Joey asked, feet swinging forward to plant themselves on the ground. "Marik, I know you're all about keeping the Court secret and whatnot, do you think this would be a good idea?" Marik crossed his arms and tipped his head to the side, thinking.

"It depends. Ishizu said that the wizards are in a secluded society. If it's anything like the tomb keepers were, then new change will not necessarily be accepted easily. We could run the threat of persecution of shadow mages in Britain, possibly in every wizarding society if they decide they do not like us."

"But if we do nothing then members of our kingdom will perish when it could be averted." Noah spoke for the first time in the Session. "Could we live knowing we could have saved lives of our people? After all, even if they do not know they can use the shadows, simply by having the ability to they are our responsibility."

"Noah raises a good point." Yugi said. "We cannot sit by and do nothing. If potential persecution is the trade-off for saving lives, I say that is an acceptable risk. After all, we can always remove shadow mages from the locations that are dangerous if they cannot do it themselves." Yami was nodding, and he wasn't the only one. 

"So who are we going to send?" Kaiba said. "Keeping in mind that most of us have full time jobs."

"I was thinking we'd go." Yugi said cheerfully, with a small motion towards Yami. Yami startled, looking over at his partner.

"Really?" He said, and Yugi nodded.

"Yeah, cause if you think about it, we're really the only ones who can leave our job without any real repercussions. Grandpa will be fine with hiring new help. After all," Yugi started going through the court members, "Marik's in college and should finish that first, Ishizu and Odion are busy with museum work, as a social worker, Serenity can't leave her kids with little or no notice, Kaiba and siblings obviously have the company to handle. I suppose Mai could go, but I think she'd get driven up the wall by the kids. Ryo could also go, but I think he wouldn't enjoy it very much, and there's Bakura to consider, who would probably terrorize the kids and raise hell." Ryo winced at the idea of a bored Thief King loose in a school of children.

"Tea's too busy with her dance troupe, Joey and Tristan also have college to handle. So really, we're the best choice out of the ones we've got." Yugi patted Yami's leg reassuringly. "Besides, the most important things, like the Court, we can definitely handle from Hogwarts."

"Yeah, you two going is probably our best choice at this time." Mokuba said cheerfully. "So how do we get you there?"

 

 

Yugi tugged nervously at his dress shirt, sitting in the English cafe.

" _Are you sure this is okay?_ " He asked Yami, who was corporeal and nursing his own coffee. A few people gave them curious glances at the Japanese he was speaking.

" _You look fine._ " Yami reassured him, reaching out and taking Yugi's hand. " _Now, Dumbledore will be here any time, so stop tugging at it and drink your tea._ " Following his suggestion, Yugi took a nervous drink, letting the warmth soothe him. 

" _Think that's him?_ " Yami asked, looking at the bizarrely-dressed man who entered the cafe. Long grey beard, silver hair, dressed in a purple suit with gold and silver patterns. He spotted the two and a brief moment of confusion crossed his face before he smiled, walking over and sitting down across from the two.

"Forgive my curiosity, but you  _are_ Yugi Mutou, are you not?" He asked, in English, and Yugi nodded.

"I am Mutou Yugi, and this is Mutou Yami." Yugi said, shadows on his tongue translating his words. "We are partners."

"I see." Dumbledore smiled. "It's nice to meet you then, Yami." Yami inclined his head in response, a silent greeting. "Well, straight to business I supposed. You contacted me about teaching a new elective. Could you please elaborate?"

"Of course." Yugi said, pulling out his duel deck. "Have you ever heard of shadow magic?" He began shuffling absent-mindedly.

"I cannot say I have." 

"It is an ancient form of magic that dates back more than three thousand years." Yugi explained. "It focuses mainly around channeling power from the Shadow Realm to cast magic and summon monsters. Our Seer told me that because of the war that happened around a decade ago, there is a high population of underage potential shadow users among the wizards in Britain. We were hoping to help them develop their powers and get them under control."

"'Our seer'?" Dumbledore inquired and Yugi blinked. 

"Oh, forgive me. I forgot to explain an important part." He lay out two cards, then three below it in a line, then three others below each of them, for a total of 14 cards. "Yami and I are part of a ruling Court. We rule over all shadow users and summons. We prevent abuse of power and make sure that all shadow users under our reach are taken care of and protected from evil." Yugi tapped the two cards at the top. "I am the King." He flipped the first card, and Silent Magician stared up at them. He flipped the other, and Dark Magician made a matching pair. "Yami is the Pharaoh. We rule the Court. The two of us are quite literally, two halves of a single soul, sharing a single body, split by magic and events a long time ago." 

"How it happened isn't entirely important." Yami spoke, leaning back in his chair and watching Dumbledore with a cool gaze. "Usually we are inhabiting one body, but with shadow magic we can manifest separately. Where Yugi goes, I go."

"The Court is supported by a three-branch system." Yugi continued. "We have the Dark branch, run by our Keeper. Under him is our Priestess, Seer and Guardian." Yugi tapped each of the four cards, but didn't flip any of them. "The Balance is run by our Regent, under him is our Sorceress, Scribe and Archivist.

"The Light branch contains our Ambassador, and under him is our Seeker, Vanguard and Knight." Yugi finished, leaving all those cards face down. It was rude, after all, to show cards that represented people to a complete stranger.

"So by training these students in shadow magic, what do you hope to achieve?" Dumbledore inquired. 

"We hope to let them know that they have us to fall back upon if they need us, and to make sure that all shadow users know about the responsibilities of their power." Yugi said.

"If you abuse the power of the shadows, they are not kind." Yami said, a dark expression on his face. "We hope to prevent accidents that could easily be stopped by a little knowledge." 

"Just by using shadow magic just once they become part of our kingdom, and our responsibility. It is up to us to keep all shadow users safe as well as prevent any from going rogue." Yugi picked up his cards and shuffled them back into his deck.

"So how do those cards come into play?" Dumbledore indicated Yugi's deck.

"They're foci for summoning monsters." Yugi drew a card and placed it face up on the table. Kuriboh stared up a them. "Technically speaking, they're cards from a popular game called Duel Monsters. Anyone can play it, and most of the time it's perfectly harmless. When shadow users play, the monsters can acually be summoned and it can get dangerous if the intent it there." Yugi lay a few more cards face down. "The creator is a shadow user, Pegasus Maximillion, CEO of Industrial Illusions.

"How it works, Monsters live in a parallel realm to us. They can be summoned to fight on behalf of a shadow user. They come from all different background and are created in different ways, but that's too long to get into." Yugi said, flipping the first card up. "Spell cards like this one help with new mages as foci for direct magic effects, as the groundwork for it is already there. Eventually mages can create and cast spells without them, but they are useful for casting without thinking or focusing on exactly what you want, as well as chaining together spells." 

"Trap cards are much like spells." He flips the last card. "They are more specific and not as useful outside of one or two situations though." 

"Our goal when teaching would be to make sure that students can cast and summon reliably and know the limits and dangers of shadow magic, especially when it comes to unmoral or abusive use of the shadows." Yami said, making a quick summary.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, stroking his beard. Yugi abruptly realized that the patterns on his jacket were drifting slowly like real planets and stars.

"I believe hiring you two would be extremely beneficial for my school." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Would you prefer to negotiate a contract now, or should I contact you in a week or so?"

"We can put you in touch with our Scribe, who will negotiate for us." Yugi proposed, and Dumbledore nodded. 

"Well then, gentlemen, I look forward to having you at my school." He offered his hand, and Yugi, then Yami, shook it. They watched him leave and exchanged a look.

" _That went well?_ " Yugi said, switching back to Japanese, and Yami nodded in agreement.

" _So how are we going to break it to Grandpa?_ " Yami asked. Yugi paled.


	2. Introduction to a New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> McGonagall is an (adequate) tour guide, money is complicated, and Knockturn Alley is very shady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note of clarification for those that might get confused. Italics are used when they are speaking the non-native language in the area. In England, anything that is not English will be in italics. Same is true for Japan and Japanese. Speaking over mental links or court cards will always be in italics.

Yugi and Ryou stood on the sidewalk, Ryou looking down at the directions in his hand and squinting at them. Yugi looked up at the pub, then glanced at the lack of people going in or out, passing by it as though it didn't exist.

" _This is the entrance to Diagon Alley?_ " He asked, and Ryou looked up.

" _That's what the directions say._ " Ryou said. He bumped Yugi's shoulder and smiled. " _You ready?_ " Yugi nodded in response.

" _Who are we meeting?_ " Ryou glanced at the paper again as they entered the pub.

" _Mc...Gonagall? I'm not sure I'm pronouncing it correctly._ " Yugi shrugged in response.

" _If it's incorrect I'm sure she can correct us._ " He turned and did a brief scan of the pub, taking in it's dirty state. Ryou nudged Yugi, then directed his attention to an older woman sitting at a table in the corner, one hand wrapped around a teacup and the other holding a paper. " _I think that's her._ " They walked over and she looked up from her paper.

"Excuse me, are you Professor McGonagall?" Yugi asked.

"I am indeed." She pursed her lips, taking in their appearance at the same time that they observed her. Her dark emerald robes were well cut, and her hair was up in a no-nonsense bun. Spectacles were perched on her nose, and she must have agreed with whatever she saw, for her eyes softened behind them after a moment.  "Yugi Moto, I presume, and your friend is..?"

"Ah, Ryou Bakura." Ryou introduced himself. "I'm here as a friend to know what kind of world Yugi is getting into." He smiled faintly, and McGonagall nodded once.

"Have a seat then, Mutou, Bakura." She sipped at her teacup while they pulled out chairs and sat. "Would you like anything to drink before we go in?"

"No thank you." Yugi said, declining her offer politely. "We just came from breakfast." Ryou was watching the rest of the pub operate in fascination, observing a man stirring his cup without touching his spoon. Newspapers had moving images, the photos on the walls were talking to each other, people in robes were casually chatting over magical brew.

"We will be making a short tour through Diagon Alley," McGonagall said, "with the goal of familiarizing you to wizarding society."

"Sounds fun!" Yugi smiled.

"How is this pub unnoticeable by non-magic users?" Ryou asked, finally refocusing on the conversation. McGonagall was surprised by his question for a moment, before she collected herself and began to explain.

"A ward that boils down to a very effective combination of a notice-me-not tied into a muggle repellent, with the loophole of contact with a wizard or witch allowing a muggle to bypass the initial wards." Yugi and Ryou shared a glance.

"Which means.... what exactly?" Yugi said, completely lost.

"I think I understand." Ryou sat forward, hands clasping together on the table. "Notice-me-not is probably exactly what it sounds like, it directs people's attention away from whatever it is cast on. A muggle is... a non-magical person, correct? So by tying a notice-me-not into a 'muggle repellent', it makes it so only muggles are affected by the ward. The loophole is so muggles can come with a magical friend or family member, correct?" He finished, looking expectantly at McGonagall.

"That is spot on." She said, looking faintly impressed. "Well reasoned out." She finished her tea and set her cup down. "Are you two ready to enter Diagon Alley?" Both of them nodded, and followed McGonagall's lead, rising from their chairs as she did. She swept out of the pub towards the back, Yugi and Ryou trailing behind them.

"This is the street entrance to Diagon Alley." McGonagall explained, pulling out her wand. "You can access it by counting up three, over two, and.." She tapped the brick once smartly. The wall opened up, the bricks pulling away and to the sides to form an arch, revealing a bustling, expansive street. Yugi's first impression was that Diagon Alley was full of life.  

His second impression was that Diagon Alley was _weird._

People lined the sides of the street, haggling over wares and window shopping, all dressed in robes. The sky was cloudy overhead, yet the shops were practically gleaming, boasting titles like _Eeylops Owl Emporium_ and _Scribbulus Writing Instruments._ They walked forward into the Alley, McGonagall leading them with purpose.

Yugi looked over to Ryou and had to stifle a laugh. Ryou was looking back and forth, trying to take in everything at once. Yugi could practically see the stars in Ryou's eyes, and he reached over to snag Ryou's hand and squeeze it. Ryou immediately focused on Yugi, red brushing across his cheeks.

"We will be heading to Gringotts the Wizarding Bank first." McGonagall said, striding down the middle of the street, and Yugi tugged Ryou along to keep up.

"What currency does the Wizarding World run on?" Ryou asked.

"Galleons, sickles and knuts. There will be a place that you can exchange outside currency for wizarding money at the bank, which is partially why we are stopping there first." McGonagall went on to explain the worth of each coin, and Yugi nodded along, internally baffled.

' _What a strange system of money. The ratios make no sense!'_

They came upon a building, all marble and gold and prestigious. It filled the end of the street, demanding attention and respect, its two stories towering over the surrounding shops. GRINGOTTS WIZARDING BANK, it read, golden letters inlayed over the bronze doors, flanked by two.... goblins? Ryou and Yugi exchanged a surprised glance. They weren't expecting to see such beings here, though now that Yugi thought about it, perhaps they should have.

The group walked up the stairs and into the first hall, where a few wizards milled about, making small talk. They passed through and Ryou paused at the second set of silver doors, reading the inscription. Stopping to look at what Ryou was, Yugi read the inscription on the door with interest.

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

 

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

"No one is foolish enough to attempt to rob Gringotts." McGonagall's voice broke through their thoughts. "Everyone is smart enough to not get on a goblin's bad side, and the few who do not care know that the security here is impeccable." Ryou and Yugi traded a look, Yugi's impressed and Ryou's amused.

"Better not let Bakura know there's a place they think can't be robbed." Ryou muttered to Yugi as McGonagall turned away. Yugi stifled his snicker.

 _"Are we in the wizarding world?"_ Yami asked with a yawn, manifesting next to Yugi. Yugi perked up as they followed McGonagall to a teller.

 _"Good morning, Other Me!"_   Yugi grinned, and Ryou gave him a knowing look.

"Yami's finally up?" He asked, and Yami slid into place and nodded.

"Wizarding bank, right?" He asked, voice deepening a bit. Ryou nodded back.

"We can get some yen converted to wizarding money here, though I wonder if there's a fee." Yugi switched back as McGonagall finished with her business and beckoned them closer.

"These two are from Japan and were looking to get some money converted for their trip today." McGonagall explained, and Ryou and Yugi tilted their heads in a small bow. The goblin looked down at them, unimpressed.

 

"Speak with Nagnock, money changer. Six down." He stamped a paper and gave it to McGonagall. She thanked him smartly, turned, and lead them down the row a bit.

"Your money is none of my business, I will meet you outside." She said, then turned and strode out. Ryou and Yugi watched her go for a moment, before turning to the Goblin.

"Excuse me, are you Nagnock?" Yugi asked, and the goblin peered over the counter at them.

"I am."

"Could you exchange some money for us?"

"Yes."

"What is the current rate of Galleons to Yen?"

"1 Galleon is worth 2,876.72 ¥."

"Are you able to process muggle cards, or do you need the actual bills?"

"We can take your card." The goblin grinned toothily. "There is a 20% fee. 10% for conversion. 10% for muggle card." Yugi rocked back on his heels, blinking slightly.

"Could we come back in about 30 minutes with cash and have it processed?" He asked. The goblin nodded. "Thank you." Yugi turned to leave, but Ryou paused.

"Do goblins take precious stones and metal in exchange for currency?" Ryou said abruptly, and Nagnock gave him a long look.

"Yes." 

"Do you handle that, or will we have to speak with someone else?"

"Speak with Regink for appraisal, across and down four." 

"Thank you." Ryou hooked his arm in Yugi's and pulled them away.

"Good thinking." Yami allowed Ryou to lead them back through the doors into the entrance hall. "Are you going to retrieve something from the Theif's stash?"

"He has quite a hoard..." Ryou pressed his fingers to his lower lip in worry. "He won't mind, but... some of it may be from pharaoh's tombs... will you be okay with it?"

Yami took a deep breath, and held it for a long moment. Yugi wrapped him in a mental hug. Yami breathed out.

"I'll be okay. It's the Court's property, now, but I think I'll stay in my soul room until the exchange is done." Ryou squeezed Yami's arm reassuringly, then stepped away to vanish into the shadows.

Yugi leaned against the wall, feeling Yami retreat to his soul room, faint traces of unease and a sense of filth echoing from Yami's side of their link. Yugi sighed, his hands tucked into his pockets. The marble wall was chilly, cold seeping through his shirt. He watched wizards mill about the room, catching a few snips of conversations.

"-about the shortage? Completely outrageous, let me tell you, Cornelius should be on top of these things-"

"-yes, it was well received, I hope to be starting my next book in a few days-"

"-with the next match coming up and all, I do wish dearly we could attend, unfortunately duty calls-"

The hair on the back of his neck stood up. A man entered the bank. Yugi did not look at him. His gut clenched. He did not flinch. He pulled one hand out of his pocket. It rested on his deck holder. The man strode past him without a glance. Yugi relaxed against the wall, confusion passing through him.

' _What was that about?_ ' Yugi puzzled, watching the man disappear into the bank through the double doors. Ryou emerged from the shadows next to him, and Yugi smiled weakly.

"Yugi, are you okay?" Ryou said, studying Yugi's face. 

"I... I'm not sure. I'll explain later, when we're not in public." He said, and Ryou leaned in to kiss Yugi lightly.

"Okay." He agreed easily, and they walked back into the bank. 

"Are you Regink?" Yugi asked as they approached the teller.

"I am." He drawled, raising an eyebrow and sneering. "Regink, appraisals. What do you want?"

"We were hoping to get a few gems appraised and traded for currency." Ryou said, setting the bag down on the counter. Regink opened it and three small gems tumbled out.

He swept them into his hand and dropped them into one of two small silver bowls. Pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment, he made a few notations before picking up the first gem. He turned it over a few times, examined it, then closed one eye and squinted. He wrote a few things down before he set down his quill, held the gem sturdy, and flicked one of his nails against it. It made a sound, and he nodded, dropping it in the second bowl. 

He repeated the process with the other two gems, making notes and muttering to himself inaudibly, before he waved over another goblin.

"Take these to Nogod," he indicated the gems, "And fetch me Hardhand." They waited in silence for a minute before another goblin approached. 

"Take them to New Accounts." He handed the paper over to the new goblin. 

"This way please." The goblin turned and began walking. Yugi and Ryou exchanged a look, before shrugging and following. The goblin led them out of the main hall, down a side hall to a door that simply read:

GOLDIK

NEW ACCOUNTS

The goblin knocked smartly on the door, a single sharp rap. 

"Enter." He opened the door and ushered Ryou and Yugi in. A stone-faced goblin sat behind a deck, two chairs in front of him. Yugi and Ryou took the seats as the first goblin set the paper on the desk, bowed, and left. They waited in silence while the goblin read over the paper.

"I am Goldik, manager of new accounts." The goblin announced, setting down the paper. "You have brought us three exceptional gems of garnet, worth around 60 Galleons each, for a total of 180 galleons. This is too much to simply hand out. In order to receive all of your money after our fee, you will have to open an account. Otherwise we can only give you 50 of those galleons, and the rest will simply go to us as processing."

"How much is your appraisal and conversion fee?" Ryou said, clasping his hands in his lap.

"15%, which comes out to 27 galleons."

"I think that is acceptable." Yugi agrees, glancing at Ryou.

"Now then. Which family will the vault be under?" 

"Actually." Yugi hesitated. "Is is possible to make a group-controlled vault, rather than a family vault?" Goldik stared Yugi down for a moment.

"Yes. There must be at least two main holders, and Gringotts is not responsible for any loss of money due to mishandling of keys or permissions. There must remain a minimum of 20 Galleons in the vault at any time, and in order to add anyone to the vault, a main holder must be present at Gringotts with the person being added. In order to add a new main holder, two current main holders must be present."

"That's acceptable."

"Very well." Goldik opened a drawer and retrieved some paperwork. "Fill this out. Please indicate the amount, up to 50 galleons, you would like to remain on hand with you. The rest will be deposited." Yugi took the paperwork and very studiously began filling it out. 

"Could we get a copy of this, for our own records?" Ryou asked. Goldik flashed his teeth at him, in a deadly smile.

"We can give you what can be given." He said. Yugi tapped his pen once, thoughtfully, as he pondered if he should write Yami down as his own holder. Deciding it wasn't necessary, as they had the same everything, he finished filling out the forms.

"Here, everything should be good." Goldik glanced over it once, then nodded. 

"Wait here." He left the room, and they could hear him speaking to another goblin outside. 

"Who did you put down?" Ryou asked, curiously.

"You, Kaiba, Marik and myself for main holders." Yugi rolled his wrists a few times to get the cramp out. "Everyone else is a secondary. I figure it will be a Court vault, seeing as I have no real need for a family one." Ryou nodded.

"Good thinking." He grabbed Yugi's hand and began to massage it. Yugi flushed slightly at Ryou's gentle, dexterous fingers working over his and caressing his palm. Ryou looked up at Yugi through his lashes, a gentle, devious smile on his face.

The door banged open and Yugi jumped, pulling his hand away. Ryou followed at a more serene pace, seemingly unbothered. 

"Here is the gold you've requested." Goldik set a sack and four small boxes on the desk. "Once you leave this office it is no longer Gringott's responsibility and any loss or theft is not our problem. Your vault will be finished by the end of the day. Here are the four keys for the main holders of the vault. Be sure that no person touches the key until the holder has touched it. Do not lose these boxes. If the keys are lost they can be recalled by one drop on blood where the key would reside."

Ryou took one key box, opened it, and touched one finger to the key. He shivered a little, the key gleamed a bright bronze, and when he pulled back, the end of the key was wet with blood. He closed it and slipped the box into his pocket. Yugi took a box and did the same thing. The tip of his finger went hot, then cold as the blood was drawn through his skin. Yugi shivered. 

"Do you have any other business to conduct?" Goldik asked, and Yugi shook his head.

"You've been very helpful. Thank you." He stood and retrieved the sack and other two keys, bowing slightly to the goblin before he and Ryou turned and left.

They met up with Minerva outside, who was sitting at an outdoor table of a nearby cafe and, once more, reading a newspaper.

"I apologize for taking so long." Yugi bowed to her. "It was unintentional."

"It is fine." She dismissed with a small shake of her head. "Gringotts always takes an extended amount of time for newcomers." She folded the newspaper up and set it down on the table, dropping a few sickles and rising. "Now then, shall we continue?" McGonagall took the lead, pointing out shops and explaining them.

"The quill shop there, next to Madam Malkin's, she handles most of the school robes for Hogwarts students, the Apothecary, for potion ingredients, Magical Menagerie, where you can buy magical pets..." She took them down the alley, stopping at the Leaky Cauldron. 

"There are a few other side streets that contain shops, but I do not know them nearly as well as Diagon Alley. Horizont Alley, Carkitt Market, and," her lips pursed a bit, "Knockturn Alley. I would suggest staying away from Knockturn alley. It is the place where more..... questionable things are sold, and dark witches and wizards have a tendency to gather there.

"I will be in Flourish and Blotts for a few hours, so if you have any questions, feel free to come find me."

"Thank you for the introduction, McGonagall." Ryou bowed in thanks, and Yugi tilted forward a bit to follow. "If we have any questions, we will find you." McGonagall nodded once, turned smartly on her heel, and strode off.

"I think this will be fun." Yugi said cheerfully, linking his and Ryou's arms together.

"Oh, without a doubt." Ryou beamed back. Yami manifested on Yugi's other side, adding just enough shadows so Ryou could see him. 

" _Shall we wander?_ " He asked, and Ryou pulled them along. 

"Lets check out the sweet shop first!" He said, and Yugi laughed.

"Whatever you want." He agreed, and they quickly made their way to Sugarplum's Sweet Shop.

 

 

Several hours later, many purchases tucked away in the shadows, Ryou was tugging Yugi down the side street of Knockturn Alley. 

"It'll be fun." Ryou wheedled, and Yugi laughingly agreed. Yami followed behind at a sedated pace, watching the two with a distinctly amused air. 

"What do you suppose we could find?" Ryou said, his eyes gleaming at the thought of strange things. 

" _Dark artifacts, perhaps?_ " Yami suggested, eyeing a cluster of witches huddled nearby. Their sharp eyes were focused on the gleaming puzzle around Yugi's neck. Yami reached out with the shadows and curled them around their necks. One witch tugged at her collar, the rest quickly averting their eyes. Satisfied, he released the tendrils and turned back to see Yugi watching him with a fondly exasperated expression.

"Undoubtedly." Yugi said, and turned back to reading the titles of the shops as they passed them.  

"How about here?" Ryou pulled them to a stop. "Cobb and Webb's?" Dark wood, sturdy door, two windows, one of which had a sign that simply read SHOPLIFTERS WILL FACE CONSEQUENCES. 

"Sure, why not?" Yugi said, and stepped forward to push open the door. A bell jingled, and they stepped inside. The shop was a small, open space, surrounded by shelves. One wall had a counter at it, and behind it sat a man with dark hair and a scar splitting across his cheek. He looked at them darkly, but said nothing.

Yami glanced over a few items curiously, and Yugi followed his gaze. 

" _What's that?_ " He asked over their link, looking at a shimmering orb.

" _It's a focus for a staff. Wonder what it's doing in a place like this._ " Yami responded, tilting his head to examine it closer. " _Usually these would be priceless, carefully guarded. Each one is a manifestation of the magic of the mage that used it._ " Yugi glanced over at Ryou, and saw him examining a Ouija board with an... unsettling look on his face. Yugi moved to his side and placed a hand on his arm. Ryou jumped, and looked at Yugi, faint traces of guilt and grief in his eyes.

Yugi only shook his head, unable to say anything. Something about the quiet of the shop was thickening words on his tongue, making it harder to speak. 

Ryou cast another glance at the board, before giving himself a shake and pulling himself away.

"See anything?" He asked, and the spell of silence was broken. 

"Not anything I desperately need." Yugi said, casting another glance around the room. "A few interesting trinkets, though." 

"Shall we move on?" Ryou said, clasping his hands. Yugi glanced at the staff focus.

"I'm going to ask about one thing first." Yugi turned and approached the shopkeeper.

"Excuse me, how much for the orb?" Yugi asked, pointing towards the focus. The shopkeeper stared at him for a long moment, before rubbing his chin.

"Three galleons." He muttered, glaring at the orb. Yugi reached into his pocket, felt for the appropriate money, pulled it out and set it on the counter. The shopkeep picked it up and set it in a drawer, making a mark on a sheet nearby him, before pulling out his wand and making a complicated motion towards the focus. 

"All yours."

"Thank you." Yugi turned and walked over. Yami held out an arm to stop him from picking it up.

" _Might not be a wise choice to touch it directly._ " He cautioned, and Yugi nodded. He called upon the shadows to manifest a cloth, bundling the orb in it and sending it to the shadows until he called for it. 

"Okay, lets go." Yugi said, turning back to Ryou. They left the shop, continuing down the alleyway. As they walked, they passed several strange people trying to peddle their wares, including one figure in a dark hood who was selling something that looked an awful lot like body parts. Yugi raised his chin, Ryou stood up a bit more, and they walked past without a glance.

"Borgin and Burkes?" Yugi suggested, nodding towards the shop. "Looks like it might sell dark artifacts and antiques."

"Sounds good to me." Ryou opened the door and they stepped in. It had shelves on the walls, and several glass display cases. Rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. They worked their way through the shop, pointing out things like a ring that promised eternal wealth, a cursed necklace, and strange masks that hung on the walls.

"Bakura might like those." Ryou laughed, looking down at a set of magical thieves' tools. They looked remarkably similar to a swiss army knife. Yugi snorted, before turning to continue and freezing abruptly as Yami's rage and grief shot through him. Yugi attention was drawn to a book sitting on a pedestal. It was leather-bound, worn, with a large lock on it, and looked extremely familiar. 

 _"Yami?_ " Yugi asked, moving closer to take a better look. The wordless rage was shaking him to the core. He read the notecard in front of the book.

ANCIENT SPELLBOOK (APROX 1000BC)

SUSPECTED EGYPTIAN ORIGIN

UNTRANSLATED

 _"Mahaad's_ _spellbook_. _"_ Yami finally said, voice trembling over their link.  _"Those.... foul scavengers, those thieves, how dare they, they deserve to ROT-"_

 _"Yami!"_ Yugi cut through Yami's outburst. Yami pulled back, letting Yugi breathe and send reassurances across their link.  _"It's here infront of us now. We can bring it home."_ Yugi reached out and picked it up. It was warm in his hands. He turned and brought it to the front under Ryou's curious eyes. Yami's emotions seethed under his own, and Yugi let Yami's rage crystallize him, make him diamond. 

"How much?" He asked, and the shopkeeper, Burke, looked at him.

"20 galleons." He drawled, and Yugi snorted.

"Do you take me for a fool?" He said, ice in his voice, fire in his veins. "It's barely worth five." Burke raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"You cannot be serious. An untranslated ancient spellbook, full of potentially powerful magic, and you claim it's worth five galleons?" 

"It is untranslated because no one can read it." Yugi gave Burke a chilly smile. "I am no idiot. If it could be translated, it would have been done so. Five galleons."

"Eighteen." Burke crossed his arms.

"Seven." Yugi countered. 

"Sixteen." 

"Nine." 

"Fourteen, and that's as low as I'll go." 

"Ten." Yugi said, softly. 

"Are you deaf now? I said fourteen."

"And I said ten. You have no right to this book. Be lucky I am paying for it at all." Yugi met Burke's eyes, and saw the unease run down Burke's spine. 

"Twelve. Last offer."

"Deal." Yugi reached into his pocket, and stacked the gold on the counter. Burke took it with a snort. 

"Pleasure doing business with you." Yugi smiled sardonically, tucking the book under his arm and abruptly exiting the shop. He could feel the glare on his back from Burke. 

Ryou followed him outside, where Yugi leaned against a stone wall, his legs containing the sturdiness of jello.

"That was pretty hot." Ryou commented, as Yugi did his best not to collapse.

"I... really don't know how I pulled that off." Yugi admitted. "I was terrified he wouldn't sell it to us." 

" _Partner.... thank you."_ Yami said, looking down at the spell book in Yugi's arms. " _This brings a great deal of relief to my heart."_ Yugi smiled weakly up at Yami.

 _"Anything for you."_  He said simply. 

"I think we've had enough adventure for one day." Ryou commented, bumping Yugi's shoulder gently. "Lets go home." Yugi nodded, and took Ryou's arm, letting Ryou guide him through the shadows back home. 

 

 

Yami sat next to Yugi on their bed, watching as Yugi shuffled their deck over and over. 

"Dark Magician." Yugi murmured, drawing the card and placing it face up on the bed. Shadows surged up from the card, taking the form of their most loyal monster. He manifested next to the bed, sinking to one knee and bowing before them. 

"My Pharaoh, My King." He murmured, staff resting on the floor in one hand, the other crossed over his chest to press against his heart. 

"Rise, Mahaad." Yami addressed him, and Dark Magician rose from his kneeling position. Yami swung his feet off the bed, standing up so he and Dark Magician could be on more equal ground (though Dark Magician still towered over him by a good foot). "I must apologize." 

"What do you mean, My Pharaoh?" Dark Magician asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Something of yours was lost, after I sealed myself away. It was stolen by thieves, or perhaps tomb raiders, but regardless. It should have been more protected." Yami turned and received the spellbook from Yugi.

"This belongs to you, my dearest friend." He held it out, and the shock on Dark Magician's face was clear. He reached out and touched it with a hand that showed the slightest of tremors. 

"My Pharaoh..." Dark Magician breathed, the book glowing faintly and rising from Yami's hands, turning and opening in front of Dark Magician. The pages rustled as they flicked back and forth, and Dark Magician's eyes devoured the words greedily. 

"I had almost forgotten." He murmured, and abruptly sank back down to his knees.

"You have given me a gift that cannot be repaid, for the worth is too vast. Even a lifetime of servitude seems to be lacking." Dark Magician said, and Yami reached out one hand and rested it on Dark Magician's shoulders. Dark Magician looked up at Yami, devotion clear on his face.

"Mahaad, I ask for nothing more than your continued loyalty, freely given and earned." Yami said, and Dark Magician nodded.

"You have earned it, and more." The book in front of Dark Magician vanished into the shadows. "You ask, and I will obey. I will follow you until the ends of time, My Pharaoh." Yami smiled at Dark Magician.

"Thank you, my friend."

On the bed, Yugi resumed shuffling their deck, a soft smile on his face.


End file.
